USA Track & Field (USATF) announced that Louisville will host five national championships in 2023 and 2024 that will attract 14,000 athletes to the community and generate an estimated $10.4 in economic impact. Three events will be held at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, now in its second year of operation, and two events will be held at E. P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park, site of championship-level cross country for more than three decades.
Louisville is one of 12 host cities named by USATF to host championship competitions that will take place between 2022 and 2024. The schedule of events are as follows:
Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center
USATF National Masters Indoor Championship
March 10-12, 2023
USATF National Youth Indoor Championship
March 17-19, 2023
USATF National Youth Indoor Championship
March 8-10, 2024
E. P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park
USATF National Junior Olympics Cross-Country Championships
Dec. 9, 2023
USATF National Junior Olympics Cross-Country Championships
Dec. 14, 2024
“We are thrilled to bring five of our championship events just down I-65 from our national headquarters in Indianapolis,” said Max Siegel, USATF CEO. “The Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center, as well as E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State park, are two of our country’s top competition venues and will provide the ultimate environment for our athletes to perform at their best. We’re excited to provide more competitive opportunities for our Youth and Masters athletes to shine and what we’re sure will be incredible performances that inspire more people to get involved in track and field.”
“This announcement would not be possible without our great partnership with Louisville Tourism and USATF Kentucky, as well as the support of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Louisville Urban League, ASM Global and the local and regional track and field community,” said Louisville Sports Commission President & CEO Karl F. Schmitt Jr. “These events will put Louisville in the national spotlight and showcase what truly spectacular facilities Louisville has to offer for cross country and track and field at the championship level. We appreciate the confidence that the national office of USAFT has in our community partners to host championships at the highest level.”
“The hard work and dedication shown by Louisville Tourism’s key alliances and local partnerships were a driving factor in our city being awarded these national USATF hosting opportunities,” said Cleo Battle, Louisville Tourism President & CEO. “Events like these truly make a significant economic impact to our city while simultaneously continuing to position Louisville as a regional and national site for sporting events.”
“Being awarded these meets is a huge win for our organization and the city,” said USATF Kentucky President Tim King. “Our reputation along with these two facilities have given us a partnership that benefits track and field athletes of Kentucky and surrounding areas. We are excited to bring these great events to the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center and E. P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park and hope it's just the beginning of a great relationship between Louisville and USATF.”
As one of only nine banked indoor track and field facilities in the nation, the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center was built for top performances and is gaining a reputation as one of the fastest and most competitive indoor track facilities in the world. In less than two indoor seasons truncated by COVID restrictions, the facility has hosted more than 30 meets for youth, high school, collegiate, masters and professional athletes, including the Mid-South and Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships; the Louisville Urban League / Kentucky State University HBCU Classic; the American Track League pro meet; and the Kentucky Indoor High School State Championships. The ACC Championships will be held here in 2023. These meets have featured athletes from more than 20 foreign country, 40 U.S. states, an estimated 60 of the 120 counties in Kentucky and every zip code in the local MSA.
E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park boasts one of America’s few championship-level 10K, 8K, and 5K cross country courses in an urban area with nearby hotels, restaurants and other amenities. The Kentucky High School state championships were held on the property of what was then Central State Hospital for several decades staring in the early 1960s. The state park was created on this property in 1974 and six times in the 1990s, The Athletic Congress and USATF Masters nationals were held at Sawyer at both eight- and 10-kilometer distances under the guidance of the now-defunct Victory Athletic Club of Louisville. Since 2003, 16 NCAA and NAIA national championships have been decided at Sawyer, along with numerous NCAA and NAIA regionals, collegiate conference championships. For the past 19 years, the Louisville Sports Commission has staged the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic at Sawyer, annually one of the largest collegiate meets in the U.S.
About Louisville Sports Commission
The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to create a legacy of economic and social vitality through sports. The LSC attracts and hosts sporting events and activities that have a positive economic impact on Louisville, enhance the area's image as a premier sports destination, promote healthy lifestyles and improve the quality of life for community members of all ages. More information is available online at www.louisvillesports.org, www.facebook.com/louisvillesportscommission and @SportsinLou.
About Louisville Tourism
Since 1968, Louisville Tourism’s primary goal has been to enhance the area’s economy through tourism development - to promote and sell Louisville as a world-class destination. Prior to the pandemic, Tourism was the third largest industry in Louisville hosting 19 million visitors in 2019. This peak of visitation had been generating an estimated economic impact of $3.4 billion which supported 70,000 local tourism-related jobs.
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